


I Won't Cut Through You

by GaleGaleGale



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route Spoilers, Gen, mention of Annette/Felix and Ingrid/Sylvain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:07:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25541080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaleGaleGale/pseuds/GaleGaleGale
Summary: Dimitri experiences the final scene of Azure Moon. Afterward, Byleth uses divine pulse to give him another chance.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Edelgard von Hresvelg, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Comments: 3
Kudos: 52





	I Won't Cut Through You

"It won't be in vain." With one last thrust of Areadbhar, the monster that was once Edelgard began to crumble away. Dimitri and the professor had done it. They had defeated the emperor. As her remaining forces were routed, Faerghus soldiers quickly began to secure the rest of the palace.

Looking down the hallway to his left, Dimitri saw an unexpected leader commanding the Fraldarius troops who were securing that side's entryways. Felix, who once swore to never fight alongside any battalion, was now commanding his father's former forces with great efficiency. His words as forceful as the swings of his sword, he seldom needed to repeat an order. Dimitri could still hear his yells quite often, however, but most were not directed to his troops. Instead, he seemed to be constantly barking at a certain dancer to stay close to him.

"Annette, to me! We can't assume we've won yet."

"Oh, would you like me to sing for you again?" As she arrived by his side she twirled and leaned into him, "I'm your girl!"

The usually stoic swordsman blushed and began to stammer, "That's... not what I... Just keep your guard up!"

He turned away to walk towards another group of soldiers, but as he did so, he reached back and, as inconspicuously as possible, grabbed her hand and pulled her along. Now it was her turn to blush.

To Dimitri's right, Ashe and Dedue commanded the forces securing that side of the palace and its exit point. Dedue, wielding his shield, crouched in front of Ashe, providing cover for the sharpshooter. Dimitri could rest easy knowing that both of his sides were protected from any last-ditch flanking maneuvers. There would be no more surprises.

Meanwhile, Sylvain and Ingrid laid near the columns in the front hall, resting against Ingrid's pegasus. As the vanguard's leaders, they and their steeds were hardly in the best of shape. Sylvain, blown off his horse when he took a glancing blow from one of Edelgard's attacks, had been cornered by enemy forces. Ingrid dove in from above to grab him, an arrow piercing her left shoulder in the process. Despite his burns and her gashes, they looked remarkably at peace slumped beside each other, their hands resting just inches apart.

There was nothing to worry about, though. Mercedes stood over them, casting her healing magic. Dimitri noticed Sylvain was able to sit up now. Of course, he had that goofy grin on his face. With a hand along his brow, he seemed to be feigning a dramatic search for someone.

"Hey, who was that cutie that rescue... Ow!" The butt of Ingrid's lance was jabbed into his side.

"You're welcome."

"Sheesh, that's what I was saying. Thank you, Ingrid."

Even Ingrid had to give a smug smile in response to that, before she leaned back and closed her eyes once more. Sylvain and Ingrid would be just fine. It almost made Dimitri smile, even at a time like this.

He trusted his companions to make it through to the end. He depended on that, just as they depended on him to defeat Edelgard. He wouldn't let them down. But still... he hoped he wouldn't have to kill her.

Dimitri stepped forward to where the monster once stood. There, the defeated emperor remained, slumped to the ground. She had to know she had lost. The war was over, her empire crumbling before her.

He could still see her though. No, not Emperor Edelgard of Adrestia, but...

"El..."

He stepped forward and reached out his hand to her. To the girl who taught him how to dance. To the girl who wanted nothing more but to cut her own path to the future. To the girl he never stopped thinking about.

He silently begged her to respond in kind. _Please El, Please._ She looked at his hand, and then to him. And he saw it. A glimmer of a smile. It was the smile of a girl who would do whatever it took, no matter the cost.

 _Shiiink._ A dagger, once his, skimmed his breastplate, embedding itself in his left shoulder. His brain reacted faster than his heart could. Instinctively, he drove his lance through her stomach. As he extended his arm, his overgrown hair fell across his remaining eye. A small solace, to not have to see himself deliver the fatal wound.

Deep down, he always knew this was the only way she would let it end. That didn't make it any less unfair. He pulled the lance out of her, and then the dagger out of himself. That dagger... The words he said to her all those years ago... Were they the right ones? He thought they were, but that couldn't be if this was the end result. The dagger fell to the ground, resting next to his childhood love. He turned away as she bled out on the throne room carpet.

Byleth, who was watching behind him, sheathed the sword of the creator and walked with him down the hall. Dimitri knew she would think he had done the right thing. But still... El was just laying there. She was dying all alone.

At the entrance he turned around, mostly to say goodbye, but also because part of him wanted to run right back to her. Byleth grabbed his hand and shook her head. She guided him back out of the hall. _Right,_ he thought to himself. _I must do what they need me to do._

But still, as they walked outside of the palace, he was conscious of Byleth looking at the tears running down his face.

She stopped. "Do you wish for this to have turned out differently."

He stopped. "I just wish we could have understood each other."

_I suppose it wouldn't have changed anything, though._

Byleth gave him a sad smile. Her face seemed frozen in time.

* * *

Dimitri stepped forward to where the monster once stood. There, a defeated girl remained, slumped to the ground.

"Dimitri."

He turned around to face his teacher. A woman of few words, her interruption made him grasp his lance tightly. Was there something else he had not accounted for? Was the battle not over?

"Remember what you believe in. We will all follow you. No matter what."

That was strange. Words of encouragement on the battlefield were unheard of from the aloof former mercenary. But, he couldn't help but smile. To have friends like his, well, he was beyond lucky.

He turned back towards their final enemy. Before him was a person most knew as Emperor Edelgard of Adrestia. But that wasn't who he saw.

"El..."

He stepped forward and reached out his hand to her. To the girl who taught him how to dance. To the girl who wanted nothing more but to cut her own path to the future. To the girl he never stopped thinking about.

He silently begged her to respond in kind. _Please El, Please._ She looked at his hand, and then to him. And he saw it. A glimmer of a smile. It was the smile of a girl who would do whatever it took, no matter the cost.

 _Shiiink._ A dagger, once his, skimmed his breastplate, embedding itself in his left shoulder. He willed his right to not respond in kind, instead having it jab his lance into the ground. He felt the sharp pain of the dagger's blade under his shoulder joint. What he felt more though, was sadness.

"Dimitri."

She stared up at him. Even then, even with her dreams completely destroyed, her expression was as unwavering as ever.

"I tried to cut a path to the future I believed in. Just like you told me all those years ago. And if you would keep this world from seeing that new dawn, then you'll have to cut through me."

He stood there, trying to think of the words to say. He had so many feelings, so many beliefs he wanted to express to her. But he knew none of them were as resolute as hers. There just wasn't a sentence that could sway her iron will in that moment. She was so ambitious, too ambitious. He knew he couldn't compare.

But he also knew what he believed in. He was no longer the madman everyone knew him to be. He knew the present was something worth defending. No, it was more than just that. It was all anybody had. He wouldn't let any one’s life be needlessly destroyed today for an idea of tomorrow. Even hers.

"I refuse, El. Just as you chose to cut your own path, I choose what I cut. And I won't cut through you."

"Very well". She tried to stand up, but seemed to lack the strength to so. She quickly fell to her knees once more. Not like that would stop her, of course. She began to crawl towards her sacred relic laying a few feet away. Even with her in such a weakened state, a blow from the ax Aymr would be deadly.

_You promised them you would kill her if you must._

He urged himself to move towards her, but he did not do so. He heard the professor's sword of the creator extend behind him. Would she finish what he could not? Was he too much of a coward to do what everyone knew he had to do? Maybe so.

He dropped his lance, and let it clatter to the ground. Then, he lunged towards her, trying to grapple her away from the ax. It was a foolish thing for him to do. Weaponless, he would be completely vulnerable if she got to Aymr. And by getting so close to Edelgard, the professor wouldn't be able to land a clean hit. He knew all of that, but he also knew how important El was to him. He decided, right then, right there, he wouldn't let her leave him just yet. If that meant they both died in the next few moments, then so be it.

His hands reached for her as hers reached for her ax. In that moment, he knew she would get to it before he could get to her. Once more, it seemed he wasn't strong enough.

But, as she was reached out for it, her arm slowly paused, then slackened. The rest of her body followed suit, falling still on the throne room's carpet. It seemed that even Emperor Edelgard had reached her limit. His hands still stretching out towards her, Dimitri slumped to his knees, his stiff metal guards clanking against the floor. He leaned forward, bracing his hands on the carpet as he let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that, for now, they would both live.

Byleth, who retracted and sheathed her sword, walked up beside him. Dimitri knew she was analyzing the situation. Analyzing what was possibly a horrible mistake. She began to speak.

"Dangerous foes may still remain beyond these walls. She could be of great use."

He knew she was merely providing a cover for what was a strategically poor decision. She wasn't wrong, though. Were there others out there? Perhaps. Honestly, though, he didn't care about that at that moment.

As his teacher helped him stand up and handed him his lance, she looked at him. "What are you going to do now?"

He grunted as he pulled the dagger out of his shoulder, and wiped his blood off with his cloak's fabric. "I'm... not sure. But first, let's ask Mercedes to tend to her." He moved towards El, dagger in hand.

"Dimitri."

He looked up at the professor, who was giving him a disapproving look. A look he used to see quite often. It made him feel like the naive academy student he was all those years ago.

"She may be unconscious, but it wouldn't be wise to return that dagger to her. She did just try to kill you with it."

Dimitri gave her a sad smile.

"Yes I suppose you're right," He sighed as he put away the dagger. _In the future then_ , he promised himself.

And so a boy once known as the boar prince sheathed his lance, crouched down, delicately picked up the girl that had driven him to madness, and carried her in his arms down the throne room's steps.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm writing this having only played the Blue Lions and Golden Deer routes. Maybe in the future I can expand on this and have them deal with what is discovered in the Golden Deer route.


End file.
